Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Capital Bikeshare Readying to Ride

With the launch of Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia’s bike-sharing service just two months away in September, the buzz is spreading over the region as to the name and look of the bike. Through a public voting process, the name “Capital Bikeshare” won the most votes. The bikes soon will be found at over 114 locations in the region with a fleet of 1,110 bikes, making it the new largest service in the U.S. and one of the few regional services in the world. The Arlington portion of the service will be comprised of 110 bikes and 14 stations. This map shows the likely locations of Arlington’s first phase of stations.

The bike design is coming together as well. While other bike-sharing services throughout the world have bikes colored gray to fit in with the historic architecture of some cities, and others are neon colors to make them eye-catching, Capital Bikeshare bikes will be dark red to match D.C.’s Circulator bus (and upcoming streetcar) branding. The color is unobtrusive, yet energized.

With organizations like Barclays, Rio Tinto Alcan, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield sponsoring bike-sharing services elsewhere, the Arlington service is now open for sponsorship too. Sponsorship opportunities are competitively priced and provide organizations a way to support a clean, green, and healthy transport mode for the 21st century. Contact MetroBike for more information about Arlington’s service or station sponsorship opportunities.